Hello! And welcome to the simplified guide of how to set up your Feather to get it up and running so you can code with your Arduino IDE on a Windows PC.

Initial Disclaimer:

• This guide is SPECIFICALLY for the Adafruit HUZZAH32 ESP32 Feather board with WiFi and bluetooth. There are several types of Feather devices on the market, each with their unique differences. I also happen to know that Steve got a couple of different types for the Makerspace. What they are and how they differ is currently unknown. If you have something other than the Huzzah32 with WiFi & BT, I will make no promises for you.

• If, by any chance, this guide helps you set up a different version of the Feather, please contact the Makerspace team as we would love to know what you learned from it so we can update this guide.

• This guide has been developed on a Windows computer. If you are developing on a Mac please check the guide below:

  Setting Up the Adafruit HUZZAH32 ESP32 Feather for Arduino IDE

Steps (in the order that they are listed for optimal outcomes):

FIRST: Install this driver:

1. Please click the link below. I promise it's not phishing or spam.

   CP210x USB to UART Bridge VCP Drivers - Silicon Labs

2. Make sure to go to the Downloads tab, as illustrated below:

   

3. Select CP210x Windows Drivers (the fourth one on the list)

   

   Pro-tip: they're well labelled and they have dates next to them.

   

4. Go to your Downloads folder and locate the file you just downloaded:

   

5. Right click and go to “Extract All...”. This will open up a pop-up window asking you where you want to extract it to - this is where it gets tricky.

   

   

6. We want to install the driver in the main directory for installations on your PC.If your computer architecture is 64bits, choose the ”Program Files” folder. If your windows is 32bits, then choose “Program Files x86”

   If you don’t know if your computer is 32 or 64, please check this guide by Microsoft: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/32-bit-and-64-bit-windows-frequently-asked-questions-c6ca9541-8dce-4d48-0415-94a3faa2e13d

   

   

   When the right directory is selected, click “Extract”

7. Because you are installing in a very sensitive directory - the root of your computer - it’s going to ask you for administrator permission to extract. Click “Continue” (with the shield icon).

   Pro tip: It is going to ask you multiple times to give permission so make sure to check the box that says “Do this for all current items”.

   

8. Once all the files are extracted, go to your Program Files (or Program Files x86 if that is where you put it) folder and you will see the loose files in there

   

9. Double click the installer file and authorize the install. It will open up an installation wizard 🧙‍♂️ Click next > next > next... until the end. When it prompts you to accept terms and agreement, check “Yes, ...”

   Pro-tip: The file ending in _x64 is for a 64bit architecture and the file ending in _x86 is for 32bit architecture.

   

10. Once you finish this install, pat yourself on the back! 🌈 Congrats, you just made it through the first step.

SECOND: Set the IDE to recognize the Feather.